The Blackwolf Intervention
by RAustin
Summary: What if Terra had survived the volcano at Slade’s lair? What if Beast Boy had saved her? What would the Titans do with her? This rewrites the last minute and a half of Aftershock pt. II and continues the story from there.
1. Chapter 1

The Blackwolf Intervention

(Aftershock, pt. III)

A Teen Titans fan fiction

September, 2006

What if Terra had survived the volcano at Slade's lair? What if Beast Boy had saved her? What would the Titans do with her? This re-writes the last minute and a half of Aftershock pt. II and continues the story from there.

I realize I have committed a cardinal sin of fan fiction by inserting one of my own characters, but I feel he was necessary to bridge a gap and tell the story I wanted to tell. Don't worry, the story is still about B.B. and Terra, not Blackwolf.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, or the other fictional characters in this story, except David. I own David Blackwolf. He's mine and you can't have him. :P

ONE

As the Titans quickly started down the tunnel, Beast Boy stayed, hesitating. He looked back into the cavern to Terra, who was standing on a small island in the sea of lava. Her entire body glowed brilliantly with her distinctive bright yellow terrakinetic energy as she fought to hold back the rising volcano. Beast Boy looked down the exit tunnel and saw his friends disappearing into the distance. He looked back to Terra, who was visibly straining to control her energy. As Beast Boy took a few steps toward her, the floor stopped shaking, the rumbling stopped, and the volcano seemed to be calmed. Terra stopped glowing and immediately fell to the ground, unconscious.

Beast Boy took a few more steps back into the cavern. "Terra!" he cried out to her. "Terra, are you OK?"

As he looked back at her, he was struck on the head by a falling stone and a spray of dirt. He looked up into the cavern and saw that the whole roof was starting to come down. In an instant Beast Boy was a falcon, his fastest flight form, darting out across the lava towards Terra. He landed as a human and hastily examined her, a hand on her neck to check her pulse. She was alive, but out cold. He lifted her head with one hand, gently pulling her eyes open with the other.

"Terra!" he shouted. The roar of debris from the collapsing ceiling hitting the floor was becoming deafening. "Terra, come on! You need to wake up!"

While leaning over her, he took a good sized rock to the back of the head. He needed to leave, fast. As he scooped her up into his arms he was a gorilla, easily cradling her in one arm. He ran to the edge of their island and, just before reaching the lava, became a huge pterodactyl holding Terra in his claws. The hail of stone from above was worse now, and he took several good hits as he soared across the lava.

He landed as a gorilla, took a moment to adjust her limp body in his arm, then ran for the exit tunnel. Stones the size of small cars were hitting the ground in front of him as he ran. He looked up in time to see one about to hit him, and didn't have time to dodge. In an instant he was his favorite defensive form, the massive dinosaur called ankylosaurus. Thirty feet long on four legs plus the tail, it's back, and in fact it's entire body, were heavily armored with thick bony plates. The armored dinosaur took the boulder on his back with no problem, Terra lying safely under the beast's belly.

Remaining in dinosaur form, he looked around the room. The path to the exit was partially blocked, and the ceiling was raining down hard and heavy. Beast Boy knew he had only a few seconds. As a hummingbird, he felt sure he could dodge the debris and reach the tunnel, but he saw no way to get Terra out.

Without hesitation he made the decision to stay with her. He decided his current ankylosaurus form was best suited for the job, braced his legs, tucked in his head as best he could, and took the weight of the earth and stone building up on his back. In a matter of two or three seconds the crushing weight was more than he could bear. His right forelimb broke violently, the two snapped ends of bone being forced into each other. Beast Boy let out a dinosaur yelp of pain, but held his footing.

After only another two or three seconds, the rumbling stopped, and the pressure stopped getting higher and higher. He still had a tremendous weight pressing down on his entire body, but at least it wasn't getting any worse.

He tried to shift his weight off his broken leg, but found he was securely pinned in place. He thought for a second, and decided to risk shifting forms. As slowly as he could, he shifted into a slightly smaller armored dinosaur, another species of ankylosaur, this one closer to only twenty feet long. He quickly shifted his weight off his broken leg, and prepared to take the weight on his back on three legs. Several large rocks fell on him, but the bulk of the stone and earth held its place. After several seconds of waiting to see what the cave in was going to do, he shrunk again, into a polar bear, still carefully keeping Terra's still form centered under his belly. Only minor debris fell on him, and he found he was standing in a pitch black hollow in the cave in. He couldn't see a thing, but guessed the pocket was about the size of his original form, 20 feet long by about 7 feet high.

He waited several seconds for the rain of pebbles above him to stop, then morphed human, kneeling over Terra, still sheltering her body with his own. He reached into his compact utility belt and produced a tiny but powerful flashlight. He quickly checked Terra, who was the same, alive but out cold, then turned his attention to the ceiling. The micro-cavern he had created seemed to be holding, for now. It wasn't nearly as big as he'd hoped, barely 12 feet long by 6 feet high, but it would have to do.

"Terra?" he started, gently shaking her head with one hand. "Terra!" he shouted more forcefully. He held one eye open and ran his light across it, both to check for concussion and to try to wake her up. Her pupil reaction looked normal, and after a moment she slowly pulled her head away from the light. He let go of her eye and she blinked a few times, but didn't appear to be looking at anything or focusing. He said her name several times, holding her hand, and the flashlight, in the hand with the broken forearm, while gently brushing her cheek and hair with the other.

"Smelling salts," Beast Boy muttered to himself. "Ought to put smelling salts in my utility belt." Beast Boy admired Robin's utility belt, and tried to put as much useful stuff into his own as he could. "Bet Robin would have smelling salts in his belt. Or maybe some kind of stimulant." He paused and thought for a second. "I wonder if Robin has an adrenaline syringe in the med-kit on his belt. He's got every other damn thing." He dismissed the sidetrack train of thought and went back to, "Terra? Terra, wake up!" for what felt like several minutes.

While doing this, he looked over her body, her head, her arms and legs, for any significant damage, but found only the expected bumps, cuts, and bruises. She was still wearing the costume Slade had made for her, and he couldn't help but think about the fact that she had tried to kill him not that long ago. That needed to be dealt with, but not now. Right now his only concern was keeping her alive and safe.

>

Slowly, Terra began to move her head and groan. After another minute, her eyes slowly began to focus on Beast Boy's face.

"Beast Boy, that you?" she muttered, a barely audible whisper.

"Terra!" he cried. "Yes, it's me." He bent down to her, lifted her head and shoulders, and hugged her tightly. "You're alive! You're all right!"

"What happened?" she whispered, still lying limp in his embrace.

As he gently lowered her to the ground, cradling her head in one hand, he said, "I know you've been through a lot, but I need you right now, Terra. I need you to use your power."

Terra's hands went to cover her face. "Oh, I can't, B.B. Not now."

"Yes, now. It needs to be now. We're not safe here."

"What happened?" she asked again.

"Do you remember the volcano?"

Terra's eyes suddenly grew wide with fear. "The volcano! Was it …? Did I …?"

"You did it, Terra, you stopped it. But then there was a cave in." He shined the flashlight up to the ceiling. "We're trapped in a little cave and I need you to tunnel us out of here."

Terra groaned loudly, slowly trying to sit up. "I'm burned out, B.B. I just … stopped a volcano. I don't want to lift another pebble for a month."

Beast Boy pulled her up to a seat and gently wrapped his arms around her, holding her in a warm hug. "I know you're hurting right now," he said softly, "but you need to be strong. This little cave we're in could come down at any time, and even if it doesn't, we're running out of air. I need you to work, Terra. Come on." As they both slowly got to their feet, Terra shook out the cobwebs and laboriously pulled herself together. "You can do this, Terra. I know you can," he said reassuringly.

Terra held out her hand, and a stone on the ground rose into her grasp. She held it hovering a few inches above her open hand, staring at it.

"I can do this," she finally said, not entirely sure of herself. She looked around the tiny cave, concerned. "Which way should I start digging?"

"Lemme think," Beast Boy muttered. "The cave is longer than it is wide because my head was over there and my tail was over there … and I was facing the exit tunnel, so we go this way," he said, pointing to one end of the cave.

"Good," she replied. "It's a place to start."

"So first, keep the ceiling from collapsing. Then, I guess, start moving rock from over there to over there."

Terra gave Beast Boy a confident grin. "I've tunneled before, B.B. I know what I'm doing." She held out her hands towards the left wall, and chunks of it began to fly across the cave, to be deposited at the right wall. She still looked wobbly and badly fatigued, and Beast Boy didn't know how long she would last.

"Are you gonna be OK?" he asked after a minute of watching her sway and stumble a bit. "I could hold you up if you want."

She looked over at him, her eyes barely starting to glow yellow. "What do you mean, hold me up?"

As an answer, he became a gorilla, offering his arms for her to crawl in to.

She gave a small, weak laugh. "Thanks, B.B., but I can stand. I think I'm all right."

As he turned human again, he noticed that the right wall was a lot closer to them than before, and the left wall a good bit further away. She was making progress.

"You're looking good, Terra. Slow and steady, don't burn yourself out."

She just nodded and continued tunneling.

>

After several minutes of this they reached the exit tunnel, which was also caved in, but fortunately not far. They found that a long section of the tunnel was still intact, and walked for a bit in silence, Terra still weak and leaning on Beast Boy for support.

"What's gonna happen now?" Terra asked softly.

"I don't know."

After a moment, she added, "I'm really sorry."

"For which part?" he quipped sarcastically.

"Well …" Terra started, not sure what he meant.

"Because last time I checked, you wanted me dead," he said simply.

Tears began to roll down Terra's face. "I never wanted to hurt you, B.B." she whispered. "Even when Slade had me hating the Titans, I couldn't hate you. I just-"

"Which reminds me, last time I checked you wanted all my friends dead, too."

"I don't … Slade convinced me … They were …" she started, struggling to find the right words. "Oh God, B.B. I was so sure …" she said, pulling away from him to lean against the wall for support. She seemed to grow even more pale and shaky than before, slow tears sliding down her cheeks. "I was so sure I was right, so sure Slade was right, that I was doing the right thing." She slowly slid down the wall, sitting down in a heap and staring at the floor. "I thought you couldn't give me what I needed. I thought Slade could. I thought … oh, I don't know, B.B. I don't know anything anymore."

Beast Boy sat down in front of her and watched her for a bit. She didn't look up at him. "What did Slade give you, Terra?" he asked finally. "What did you need?"

It took her several seconds to reply. "Control," she muttered quietly. "The Titans offered me friendship, but that wasn't what I needed. I needed control. Control over my power, which I didn't have. Control over my fear. That's what Slade gave me that you couldn't. He gave me control."

"But at what price?" he asked gently. When she said nothing, he continued, "At the cost of all your friends, all your-"

"I never had any real friends," Terra muttered.

"Yes you did!" he shouted suddenly. "Yes, you did!"

Terra smiled at him. "I guess I've always had you, B.B."

"The other Titans all called you a friend, too, though maybe you didn't see it."

She just looked down and shook her head. After a second, she added, "Not anymore."

"Yeah, you made sure of that, didn't you?" Beast Boy said grimly. This set her off, and she buried her face in her hands, sobbing. Beast Boy thought about getting her up, thought about finding the exit, but decided she could have a little time. After a minute, she wiped her eyes and looked up at him.

"What am I gonna do?" she whispered.

"That's up to you," he said. "What you do has always been up to you."

"I thought the Titans were my enemy. I thought Slade was my friend. Now my whole world has collapsed … and I don't …" she trailed off.

"The Titans were never your enemy until you forced us to be. What was it, Terra? What did we do? Why did you hate us so much?"

"I guess it wasn't what you did, it was what you represented."

"Which was?" he prompted.

Again, it took her several seconds to reply. "My failure. Failure to control my power, my fear, my anger. Failure to control my own weakness."

"But why? What did we have to do with that?"

She shrugged. "Slade made it make sense," she replied. "He convinced me you were the badguys."

"How? We were never anything but good to you. Why would you … I mean …" Beast Boy stopped and looked away for a moment. "Why, Terra? I don't understand."

Terra sat and stared at the floor. "No one has ever liked me, B.B. No one has ever trusted me. Everywhere I've ever gone, I try to be good … but eventually I lose control, cause another accident. Everyone always ends up hating me. The Titans are no different."

"We are different. We nev-"

"Are you saying the Titans didn't end up hating me?" she asked, looking up at him accusingly.

"You're working for Slade," he said coldly. "That's the reason. It has nothing to do with whether or not you can control your power. It has nothing to do with the accidents you've had in the past. You were working for our mortal enemy, and _even still_, we never gave up on you. We never-"

"_You_, Beast Boy, not 'we.' The others gave up on me just like I knew they would. Just like Slade knew they would."

"No, Terra, they haven't. I promise you. When we get out of here-"

"If I was down here with Raven instead of you, I'd be dead by now. Don't kid yourself, B.B."

"Raven doesn't kill. Neither do I. You'd be unconscious and on your way to prison."

They sat and silently stared at each other for a moment, unsure what to say.

"Are you taking me to prison, Beast Boy?" she finally asked quietly.

He shook his head and took a moment to reply. "I don't think that's the answer."

"What, then?"

"I don't know."

After another long silence, he continued, "If the Titans decide you belong in prison, will you go without a fight?"

Terra's gaze returned to the floor, and she slowly nodded.

"Look at me, Terra, this is important," he continued. "Is it because you know we're right, or because you don't think you could beat us again?" he asked seriously.

Terra didn't look up. "Both, I guess."

Beast Boy just groaned in frustration and buried his face in his hands.

"I don't want to fight anymore, B.B.," she said softly, her eyes still on the floor. "I can't fight anymore. I can't fight you, I can't fight your friends … I just can't."

"Do you even want them to be your friends again?" he asked gently.

"Were they ever? I mean, really?"

Beast Boy sighed heavily. "They thought so," he said. "But all that time you spent with us, you were … what, undercover? Were you working for Slade the whole time?"

She just nodded. He continued, "So what were we to you? Just an assignment? Did he send you to us just so that you could betray us?"

"Not at first," she replied, still not looking at him. "I met you guys, and it seemed to be going well, then … I trusted you, and you told the others my secr-"

"I did not, Terra!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "I did not tell anyone your secret. Robin's a smart guy, he figured it out. He figured it out, and he didn't care. He asked you to join us anyway."

She paused and looked him in the eye for a moment. "Either way," she continued, "I knew I couldn't stay with you."

"You were always welcome to stay. You ran off before we could make that clear to you."

She looked away and didn't reply. "So … then Slade found you …" he prompted.

"Slade found me, and he trained me. He taught me control. He gave me confidence, self respect. He taught me that in order to control my future, I had to destroy my past. I had to destroy all of my weakness, all of my doubt. I had to destroy the Titans."

"That last part doesn't make sense to me."

She shrugged absently. "Doesn't always make sense to me, either. But I trusted Slade. He knew what was best for me."

"He only ever wanted what was best for himself."

"But he gave me what I needed, B.B." she cried, desperate for him to understand her. "He gave me the control I needed."

"All he did was control you."

"Same thing."

"Not the same thing at all. We could have helped you control yourself. You didn't have to go to Slade."

She paused, staring at the floor again. "But I did."

After another long silence, Beast Boy asked softly, "What were you thinking when you were fighting us? I mean, really, what was going through your head when …"

"It's just such a rush, B.B., ya know?" she replied. "Fighting is such an adrenaline rush. And I had you guys … Slade had the Titans all worked up in my head. They were the reason. They were my failure, my weakness, my fear, all rolled into one."

"I guess I kinda get that," he said, "but, well … you just seemed to be enjoying it so much."

Terra smiled to herself. "Oh, especially Raven," she said with a grin. "Teaching that arrogant little …" She stopped when she saw the truly evil glare Beast Boy was giving her. "Right, sorry," she said meekly. "Shutting up now."

Beast Boy looked especially lost and dejected. "You enjoyed working for Slade," he muttered. "That's something I'm really gonna have a hard time with."

Neither one knew what to say, and they sat silently for a time, Terra staring at the floor, Beast Boy staring at Terra.

Finally, Terra started softly, "I once told Robin I didn't need saving. I think I was wrong about that." She laughed to herself, a small weak laugh. "I said I'm not some scared little girl waiting to be rescued. I guess maybe I am, after all."

"If you are," Beast Boy replied gently, "then I'm here to rescue you."

She looked him in the eye and smiled, the first real smile he'd seen from her in some time. "You always are, B.B." she said. "You always are."

There was another long silence between them, then Beast Boy asked, "What was it like for you, being … undercover? I mean, what did you think you were doing at the time? Living with us? Were you just pretending?"

"Not entirely," was all she said. Beast Boy wanted to say something, but didn't know what. Finally, Terra continued, "I liked the idea of having friends, even if they weren't real friends."

"But they were real friends. They-"

"Not really. Not the others. They only accepted me because I had the control Slade had given me."

"Not true, Terra." Beast Boy sighed and rested his head in his hands. "Dammit, Terra," he said softly, "that's not true and I don't know how to make you understand that."

After a moment, Terra asked, "Do you think they'd accept me now?"

"I don't know," he muttered, then looked up at her. "I know in my heart you're a good person, and even I am really struggling with this. You're going to have to convince us, all of us, that you really want to change. But I believe you can, if you try." Terra didn't reply and wasn't looking at him. "Do you even want to change?" he asked gently.

"Yes!" she cried, finally turning to face him. "I mean …" Tears slowly started to form again. "Slade taught me so much, but he … he never really liked me, never wanted what was best for me. I see that now. He gave me what I needed, but he … he …"

"He didn't teach you self control, he-"

"He did, he-"

"He taught you to let him control you. Big difference."

She paused and stared at the floor again. "Yeah, I guess."

"So, with you under his thumb, the two of you were going to … what? Rule the world? Was that the plan?"

"Something like that, yeah," she muttered.

"And now?"

"Now …" Terra hesitated before she continued. "Now, I don't know."

"Don't know what?" Beast Boy demanded. "What part of this is still unclear? You were the _badguy_, Terra. Slade was the badguy. Don't you get that?"

She nodded silently and stared at the floor. After a moment, she started softly, "I thought it didn't matter. I thought other things were more important."

"Like what?"

"Control," she said flatly.

"That was worth giving yourself to Slade, worth sacrificing our friendship, worth-"

"I don't know, B.B.!" she suddenly shouted. "Yes! Maybe. I thought so. Now … Slade taught me that I was a force of destruction, that I'm not good or bad, I'm just violence and carnage and death. He said I had to embrace that if I was going to learn control."

"Slade was an idiot. Now he's a dead idiot. You've got to-"

"Was he, B.B.? I've destroyed every friendship I've ever had, even the one with him. He was right about-"

"He was never right, Terra, about anything. I guarantee you everything he ever told you was a lie."

Terra thought about this for a second. "He told me you'd betray me." She gave a small, amused smile. "But after everything I've done to you and your friends, you still won't leave me alone." She reached out and took his hand. "You still won't give up on me."

"Never," he replied with a grin. "Now come on, get up. We need to get out of this cave."

>

They walked in silence down the long corridor. Terra was feeling stronger, but held Beast Boy's arm for support anyway. She just plodded along, staring at her feet, unsure what to say.

"How's your arm?" she asked after a bit.

"Broken," he replied. "I've had worse. No worries. How's your … are you even hurt?"

Terra shrugged. "Headache. Kinda dizzy. Is it possible to strain your mutant power from over-exertion? I think I pulled something in my brain."

Beast Boy grinned and took her hand again. "You'll be fine, kid," he said.

"Will I?" she said seriously. "What are we going to do, Beast Boy? What's gonna happen to me?"

"I don't know," he said simply.

Terra stared dejectedly at the floor for a while. Softly, she whispered to herself, "Slade would know what to do."

Beast Boy sighed and squeezed her hand. "That is exactly the kind of thinking you need to stop doing, right now. He's not your master any more. He doesn't tell you what to do any more. You've got to think for yourself, make your own choices."

Terra started to cry again. "I can't, B.B., I'm scared. You do it, you think for me. Tell me what to do. I trust you." She sniffed and wiped her eyes. After a second she added softly, "I trust you with my life."

Beast Boy wiped away a grim tear of his own. "Stick with me and I'll do my best to take care of you. I don't know what's gonna happen, but … all I can promise is to do my best."

"Am I going to prison?" she asked.

"Probably."

"I deserve it," she whimpered, crying harder.

"Maybe. I don't think so. There has to be a better answer."

"Like what?"

"I don't know."

>

After a few minutes they came to another cave-in in the tunnel. As Terra was clearing it, light and fresh air started to come through the cracks.

"Ha!" Terra cried. "The surface!" As she pulled a chunk away and more collapsed on top of it, the gap in between grew wider.

Robin's voice came to them distantly. "Over there! Movement!"

Chunks of rock began to glow black from Raven's telekinetic power and fly away. "Beast Boy!" they heard her call out. "Are you in there?"

Within moments Terra and Raven's combined powers had cleared the mouth of the tunnel, and Beast Boy and Terra stepped out to face the rest of the Titans.

Robin, in his straightforward manner, just said, "Are you hurt?"

Before Beast Boy could reply, Raven turned to Terra. "You're alive?" she said venomously. "Not for long, you little …" Her hands lit up with glowing blackness and she started toward her.

"No!" Beast Boy cried, jumping between them. "No, Raven! She's with me." He wiped a tear from his face and repeated, "She's with me. I'm not gonna let you hurt her. Any of you."

"Out of the way, Beast Boy!" Raven growled, starting toward Terra again. Beast Boy again moved between them, and as Raven reached to push him aside he was a massive gorilla, shoving Raven to the ground. As she landed on her back he was human again. "No, Raven!" he repeated. "She's with me!"

Raven looked to Robin. "Stand down, Raven," he said. "Beast Boy, talk to me."

Beast Boy hesitated and wiped his face again, unsure where to begin. "OK, so she was a goodguy first, then she got trained by the badguy and became a badguy. Then she realized he was a badguy and turned against him, and now she's a goodguy again. So-"

"It's not that simple, Beast Boy," Raven growled as she got to her feet. "She betrayed us. She tried to kill us."

"She needs our help," he pleaded. "She wants to be a goodguy again, and she's trying but she needs our help." He turned toward Robin and continued, "Come on, Robin. She deserves another chance. She was a friend once."

"As I recall," Cyborg added coldly, "we gave her another chance and she tried to kill us."

"That was before, Cyborg," Beast Boy exclaimed. "That was before she got out of Slade's grip. Before she saw him for what he really was. Now, she's-"

"We don't know what she is now, Beast Boy," Robin said.

"How about it, then, Terra?" Raven demanded. "What are you now?"

Terra wiped at her face and huddled against Beast Boy's arm. "Confused," she said softly after a moment. "Scared. Really sorry. I don't know … I don't know what to do."

"You'll come with us, for now," Robin said.

"She should go to prison, Robin," Raven said.

"That may be, but she'll come with us for now. Beast Boy, how's you arm?" Robin asked.

"Broken," he replied flatly. "Other than that …"

"Can you fly?" Robin asked.

"Doubt it."

"Raven, try to heal his arm," Robin ordered. "Cyborg, make one last scan of the area. Starfire, I want an aerial survey of the area. Look for any of Slade's robots that might still be out here."

"Right," she replied as she shot into the air.

"And what am I looking for?" Cyborg asked as he peered into his forearm display.

"Slade," Robin replied. "Or his body. Terra," he said, turning to face her. He paused, and she just stared at him, nervous fear in her eyes. Robin reached into the back of his utility belt and produced a small, thick, flexible metal ring the size of a small necklace. "Put this on," he said, offering it to Terra.

"What is it?" she asked fearfully.

"It's a collar, Terra. Put it on, now," he said forcefully.

"It's OK, Terra," Beast Boy said, taking her hand. "It's an inhibitor collar. You'd better put it on."

Terra hesitated. "It'll block me from using my power, right?" she asked.

"If you're going to even dream of us ever trusting you again," Robin started, "you start by trusting us now. Put it on."

Terra looked back to Beast Boy again, then took the collar from Robin and locked it around her throat. "I don't feel any different," she said after a second.

"Try using your power," Cyborg said angrily.

Terra held out a hand and reached for a rock a few feet away. Pain ripped through her forehead, and she buried her face in her hands.

"Terra, are you OK?" Beast Boy asked.

"Killer brain-freeze," she replied. "I can't use my power."

"Good," Robin said simply. "Now, you're coming with us back to the Tower," he told her. "You will sit quietly in your room while the rest of us have a conference and decide what to do with you. Whatever decision we reach, you _will_ do what we tell you to do. Understand?"

Terra nodded slowly. "Sounds fair," she muttered.

"Good," Beast Boy added. "Good, that does sound fair. Thank you, Robin. I'm sure if it were up to Raven there wouldn't be any discussion. There'd just be prison."

Raven didn't look up from the energy she was casting into his broken arm when she replied. "You shouldn't speak unkindly about the person who's healing your broken arm, Beast Boy."

Starfire returned and hovered a few feet above them. "I have found no enemies," she reported.

"And I'm getting nothin' on nothin'," Cyborg added. "If there's a human body down there I'm not seeing it."

Robin turned to Beast Boy. "Can you fly?"

"I'd rather not. Raven, you got a disk thingie big enough for me and Terra?"

Raven glared at him. "You expect me to carry her?"

"Raven," Robin started.

"Fine," she snapped. "Fine, whatever." She waved her hand and a glowing black platform appeared in front of Beast Boy and Terra.

"Raven?" Beast Boy started as he climbed onto the disk. "I'm sorry I pushed you."

"Whatever," she replied, not looking at him.

"Let's go home," Robin said. Starfire picked him up as Cyborg stepped onto another one of Raven's hovering black disks. Together, they began a very quiet and somber flight back to the Tower.


	2. Chapter 2

TWO

Upon arrival, everyone scattered to their rooms for a shower and change into a fresh costume, standard procedure after a mission. After an objection by Raven, Terra was finally allowed the dignity to go to her old bedroom alone to clean up. Beast Boy was the first to arrive in the main common room, and waited as everyone else trickled in.

Terra was the last to enter the room. She had also changed, out of the suit Slade had given her and into her old Titans costume, with the long-sleeve black top with a 'T' on the chest. It could stand for Terra or Titan interchangeably.

As soon as she saw Terra, Raven jumped to her feet. "Oh, no you don't!" she said angrily. "You do not get to wear your Titans outfit. You are not a Titan."

"Come on, Raven," Beast Boy said, "give her a break. It's just clothes. It's what she used to wear all the time."

"Used to, Beast Boy," Raven said coldly. "Used to. Back when she was a Titan. She's not anymore."

"It's OK, B.B.," Terra said meekly. "I'll change. I've got some civilian clothes in my old room. I'll go change."

"Good," was all Raven said.

As Terra left the room, Beast Boy headed toward her. "I'll walk with you."

"No, that's OK, I'm just gonna …" Terra started. "Actually, that would be nice."

As they left the common room, Robin called out, "Hurry back."

>

They walked in silence for a bit, then Terra looked at Beast Boy hesitantly. "So, what are you guys going to do with me?" she asked quietly.

"I have no idea," he replied simply, then turned to her. "But we'll figure something out. It'll be OK."

They took each other by the hand and walked on for a bit. When Beast Boy spoke, he was quiet and serious. "Raven's right, you know, you're not a Titan. Not anymore."

Terra just nodded. "Maybe …" she started after a moment, "maybe I could be again … someday."

Beast Boy squeezed her hand and fought back a tear. "I honestly don't see how. I think the best we can hope for is to ship you off somewhere where you can start a new life, be happy. Get away from everything that's happened to you. Give you time to heal."

"Oh, God, B.B. Where?" she asked nervously.

"I don't know," he said simply, as they reached her old bedroom.

"I'll just be a second," she said as she slipped inside and shut the door. Beast Boy waited for only a minute before she returned. She was still in the same yellow-tan shorts and hiking boots, but had taken off the gloves and utility belt and replaced the black 'T' top with a plain blue sleeveless tee shirt. "You think this'll be good enough for Raven?" she asked.

"She'll cope. You're civilian enough."

They walked most of the way back in silence. Terra asked again what they might do with her, and Beast Boy again replied simply that he didn't know. When they entered the common room, everyone turned to look, but Raven in particular glared at Terra. Beast Boy pointed at Terra, but spoke to Raven.

"Better?" he snapped.

"Better," she replied as she turned away.

Beast Boy addressed the group as a whole. "So what'd we miss?" he asked with mock cheerfulness.

"Not much," Cyborg replied. "No one knows what to say."

Starfire looked to Beast Boy, pain apparent in her eyes. "All this anger and hurtfulness makes me sad," she said. "I do not like it."

"None of us like it, Starfire," Robin said, "but it needs to be done. We need to talk about this. We need to figure this out."

"What's there to figure out?" Raven asked. "She's evil, we're not. Therefore …"

"Stop saying that!" Beast Boy shouted angrily. "She's not evil. She's scared and hurt and confused and misled and manipulated and lied to … she's not evil, OK? Stop saying that."

"Look, man …" Cyborg started, then Robin cut him off.

"I don't think it's right to be discussing this in front of her. Terra, go to your room and wait for us. The rest of you, let's adjourn to conference room one. I'll put on some coffee. And Terra …" he paused and looked her in the eye. "I'll want to talk to you, seriously and honestly, about everything that's happened. But right now I need to talk it over with the Titans, and you're not a Titan."

"Right, right," she said softly, and gestured to the door. "Leaving." As she reached the doorway she stopped and turned back. "Robin?" she said hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"Would it be OK if I … went to the kitchen for a sandwich? I haven't eaten all day."

Robin gave a small smile. "That's fine, Terra. Then wait for us in your room."

"She can eat in her room," Raven said, addressing Robin, "because she's not eating with us."

"Raven, we get it, OK?" Beast Boy said. "You don't like her. We get the point. Shut up about it."

As the door closed behind Terra, Raven turned angrily to Beast Boy. "I'm not going to shut up about it, because we are all here to talk about it. I am going to be heard. It seems pretty simple to me. She tried to kill us. All of us. She tried to kill you, Beast Boy, or don't you remember?"

"She was confused. Slade had her convinced it was the right thing to do," Beast Boy replied.

"I know you're going to blame all of this entirely on Slade," she said, "but it just isn't true. She's to blame as much as he is."

"But he had her … brainwashed, basically."

"No, B.B., he didn't. He gave her an opportunity, and she chose to take it. Her choice, her fault, her blame."

Beast Boy was silent for several seconds, and when he spoke, it was no longer in anger. "She did choose it," he said softly. "She's guilty of being weak. She was tempted by evil and she fell for the temptation."

"What's so tempting about being evil with Slade?"

"OK, two things, Raven. One, let's not forget that you've got a little of your father in you. You of all people should know what it's like to fight giving in to anger and fear."

"I control my anger," Raven growled. "I meditate, I-"

"And she's weak, OK? She doesn't have your self control. She never had your training."

Raven thought about this for a moment, but didn't reply. "And two?" she asked finally.

"Two. Terra's worst, darkest fear is losing control of her power. When we first found her, she confided in me her big, terrible secret. Made me swear never to tell you."

Robin said simply, "She caused some damage in the past. Pretty bad."

Beast Boy nodded. "Earthquakes, landslides, avalanches, followed her everywhere she went. That's why she was a homeless drifter when she met us. If she stayed in one place too long, she'd cause another disaster."

"So what's your point?" Raven asked.

"The one thing in life she wanted more than anything was control of her power, and that's what Slade offered. That's how he tempted her." He let Raven consider this for a moment, then continued. "He offered her control if she would give in to him, give him complete control. And you've got to give it to Slade on this one, he did one hell of a job teaching her control. She's capable of things she wouldn't have dreamed of before he got a hold of her."

"She may have been motivated by fear and a need for control, but the fact remains, she chose to join him. She chose to betray us."

Beast Boy stopped and stared at the ceiling for a second, sad frustration on his face. "Ray ..." he started gently, "I don't think either of us will ever comprehend the kind of psychological torture he put her through. She was with him for a long time, you know. Plenty of time for him to warp her already fragile mind. He completely changed her view of herself, her view of her place in the world, her view of her former friends. He had her honestly convinced that we were the badguys."

Cyborg had been sitting to one side, silently watching the conversation. "She lived with us, B.B.," he said. "She worked with us. _After_ all that. After her time with Slade, she pretended to be our friend."

"I know, Cy. I …" he started. "Look, the girl's got psychological problems, OK? I think she might have some mild kind of split personality, like two different personas. There's the one Slade created for her, and there's the real Terra, buried underneath. With us she was able to relax and be her old self, and just … just not think about Slade."

"OK, B.B., look," Raven said more calmly, "even assuming you're right about any of this, what are we supposed to do about it? What are we supposed to do with her? You can't seriously expect any of us to ever trust her again."

"I don't know, Ray, that's why I'm asking for your help. All of you. Think of something we can do, some way to help her. Please."

They all sat in silence for a moment, then Beast Boy looked to Robin. "You know what she said to me in the cave? We talked about this for a while. She said she once told you she didn't need saving, and that she sees now that she was wrong." He paused and looked Robin in the eye seriously for a moment. "We have to save her, Rob. You know we have to save her. We're the goodguys, it's what we do."

"That sounds good in theory, B.B., but how?" Raven asked. "How do we save her?"

"I don't know, Ray. You're the brainy one, think of something."

Raven looked away and didn't reply. After a moment, Robin spoke, addressing no one in particular. "I understand the hold a master can have over his apprentice. I had a powerful master once, too."

Beast Boy gave a weak grin. "You think the Bat would be interested in taking on a slightly damaged, used apprentice?"

"No. Maybe we could find someone who is."

"Like who?" Cyborg asked.

"I don't know," Robin replied. "But I do think what she needs is a good master to re-teach her. Re-teach her to be a hero."

"What the girl needs is a military academy," Cyborg threw out. "You know, teach discipline, respect, all that good stuff."

"That's not a bad thought, Cyborg," Robin replied. "Not the military, though. Maybe the Justice League has some kind of training center we could enroll her in."

Beast Boy snapped his fingers. "Of course! The Green Lantern Corps."

"Be serious, Beast Boy," Robin snapped. "They only accept those who are truly fearless, and that's not Terra."

"I didn't mean she should join the Corps, Robin. I meant they might know somebody."

"They might," Starfire put in, speaking for the first time. "Their reach across the galaxy is vast. They might know of … something, somewhere."

"So is that what we're going to do?" Raven asked. "Ship her off to someone else to deal with her problems? Because if so, she doesn't need a military academy, she needs a mental hospital."

Beast Boy turned to her. "Thank you, Raven," he said sincerely. "That's a big step up from prison."

"Oh, I haven't ruled out prison," she replied.

"But I need to," Robin said. "Beast Boy may be right, there may still be a hero in there. I need to talk to her, decide for myself if she's salvageable. The rest of you, get some sleep. It's getting late. We'll talk about it in the morning."

Everyone stood up except Raven, who looked to Robin. "So, are we just going to trust her not to leave in the middle of the night?"

"Raven, come on …" Beast Boy started.

"Where do you think she could go?" Robin asked her.

"We're probably sending her to prison. I think she'd go anywhere other than here."

"I told her I'd take care of her, Raven," Beast Boy said seriously. "I promised her. She's going to stay with me, and I'm going to make sure we do what's best for her, whatever that is. She won't run away because she trusts me."

"But-" Raven started.

"No, he's right," Robin said. "That's good enough for me. In any case, she won't get far with that collar on. Beast Boy … just go to bed. I'll be up with her for a while, and you can see her in the morning."

"Good enough," Beast Boy grumbled as he headed off toward his room.

>

Beast Boy collapsed onto his bed and knew there was no way he was sleeping. He thought about going to see Raven. She was a good friend, and it hurt to be fighting like this. Then he thought, they'd just end up shouting at each other without Robin there to break them up. It could get ugly.

He lay in bed for over an hour, then felt he had to check on Terra. He crept silently to her door, but when he knocked he heard Robin's voice say simply, "Go away, Beast Boy," so he slunk off back to his room. He tried again another hour later, and when he knocked he got no answer. After a minute he knocked again, and Terra cracked open the door.

"Hello, B.B.," Terra whispered.

"Are you OK?" he whispered back. She just nodded. "Can I come in?" he asked. Terra opened the door and stepped back, her eyes to the floor. She was in her pajamas now, just an oversized tee shirt, and the light from the hallway caught the glint of the silver mutant inhibitor collar on her neck.

"Did Robin say how long he's going to make you wear that thing?" he asked gently.

She shook her head. "He said I need to trust you guys," she said before she finally looked up at him. "I gave control to Slade," she said seriously, looking him in the eye. "Now I'm giving control to you. You and the Titans. My life is in your hands."

"We'll think of something good. I know we will, Terra. Trust me."

She just nodded.

"So … do you mind if I ask what Robin …?" Beast Boy started.

Terra groaned. "I don't want to talk anymore tonight, B.B. I just need to sleep. And if you could just hold me right now, that would be …"

Without a word, Beast Boy slipped inside and shut the door. They got comfortable on the bed, and Terra curled up in his arms and fell quickly to sleep. Beast Boy stayed up for a while, worrying. Finally, he forced it out of his mind, focusing only on being here with Terra, and fell asleep himself.


	3. Chapter 3

THREE

OOO

Author's note: In this chapter I introduce David Blackwolf, my own original character. I realize writers of fan fiction aren't supposed to use their own characters, but I feel David is necessary to tell the story I want to tell, and I hope you agree he doesn't detract from what is still a Teen Titans story.

OOO

The next morning they were awakened by a knock on the door. A moment later, Robin stuck his head in.

"Thought I'd find you here, Beast Boy," he said. "Terra, get some breakfast then come back to your room. Stay here. Beast Boy, you're with me."

Beast Boy crawled out of bed, then turned back to Terra. "We'll think of something good," he said comfortingly. "I promise."

>

Robin and Beast Boy didn't say a word on the short walk to the conference room. They entered to find everyone else already seated, and a pot of coffee on the table. They took their seats, and everyone turned to Robin.

"What are we going to do with Terra?" Robin asked simply. "You've had a night to think on it. Suggestions?"

"Federal prison," Raven said simply.

"That's what we're trying to avoid," Beast Boy replied.

"I don't see why," she said back.

"Because she's not a common criminal," he said coolly, intentionally keeping his emotions in check. "She's more complicated than that. She's a superhero. She was a supervillain for a while, and now she wants to change. She wants to be better, but she needs help."

"Isn't that what prison is for?" Raven snapped. "Rehabilitating criminals?"

"You know that she would _not_ come out of a prison term a better person, Raven. You know that, don't you?"

Raven started to reply, but Robin cut in. "We're not here to decide whether or not to help her, Raven. I think we should, if we can. We're here to come up with a way how."

"Well," Cyborg started. "What does she need, most simply? What do we need to provide her or find for her to help her get better?"

"She needs discipline," Robin said. "She needs a master, a teacher, a mentor. Slade taught her to control her power, now she needs to be taught to control her own will. She needs to be taught to think for herself. She's let Slade think for her for too long now. She needs to learn self-confidence."

"A little morality wouldn't hurt, either," Cyborg commented.

Robin nodded. "She knows right from wrong. She needs to be reminded. So …" He paused and looked around the table at all of them. "Recommendations? Where do we look? Who do we ask?"

"Batman?" Cyborg threw out.

"The Justice League," Starfire added.

"I'd already said the Green Lantern Corps," Beast Boy said.

Cyborg replied, "The Corps has better things to do than …"

"No, let's not rule anything out yet," Robin cut him off.

"I said not the Corps, themselves, Cyborg," Beast Boy replied. "I meant that since they're in contact with so many worlds, they might know somebody."

"So are we looking to send her off-world, then?" Raven remarked. "Is that the plan? Send her to live on another planet? Study under some Yoda-like master?"

Beast Boy sat up in his seat. "That's perfect!" he exclaimed, partly joking but equally serious. "We need to find Yoda! He could help."

Raven was looking to one side, lost in thought.

"Raven, did you think of something?" Robin asked.

"Well …" she started, "I had a thought last night. You mentioned the Green Lantern Corps before because they go everywhere in the galaxy. What about someone who goes everywhere in the universe. What about David?"

All of them just stared at her.

"You remember David, don't you? Blackwolf? The traveler. We met him about a year ago."

"I remember David Blackwolf, Raven," Robin replied. "The traveling wizard who came to you to exchange magical knowledge. He stayed with us for a few days."

"Oh, I remember that guy," Cyborg said. "He helped us whoop some badguy butt, then hung out here with Ray for like a week, just talking."

"We had a lot to say," Raven replied.

"And it was all a bunch of 'magic theory' mumbo-jumbo."

"Not all of it. We talked about ourselves a bit. He's a fascinating man. His life story is, well… fascinating."

"As I recall, you two got to be pretty good friends," Robin said. "You think he could help here?"

"Well, he's a traveler," she explained. "He can go anywhere. He goes to other planets, he goes to other dimensions, he goes to other times. He can go anywhere. If anyone is going to know of a place that would be good for her, he will."

"That's great, Ray," Cyborg put in, "but couldn't Dave be anywhere in the universe right now?"

Raven shook her head. "You forget, Cyborg, that he left me a signal beacon. He said if I ever needed him I could use it to send for him."

"Well, where is it? Go get it!" Beast Boy said impatiently. "This is the first good idea we've had. Let's act on it."

"It's in the vault, with the rest of the collection," she replied, then looked to Robin, seeking his approval.

"How long will it take him to get here?" Robin asked.

"Don't ask me," Raven said.

"Get it," Robin decided. "Let's get an outside opinion on this. Blackwolf is about as outside as it gets."

"Finally. Thank you," Beast Boy said, relieved but still frustrated. "Ask an expert, get some help. Good. We need help with this."

"At least one good thing has come out of this mess," Raven muttered as she got up. "It'll be nice to see David again. Be right back."

No one replied, and Raven left the room. Starfire had been silent throughout. After a moment, she finally said, "I liked the David traveler. He was a good person. He will help us, I am sure."

Cyborg sat back in his chair grumpily. "Don't see how," he said.

"He's been places, he knows things," Robin said. "Terra was apprenticed to an evil master. What she really needs is a good master to re-teach her. Maybe David knows one."

"What she really needs is a Jedi Knight," Beast Boy said earnestly. "She's been led pretty badly into the 'dark side,' but with the right Jedi Master I know she can re-learn the ways of the good side of the Force. She _was_ a hero once, you know. She can be again."

"I'd like to believe that, Beast Boy," Robin said. "I believe everyone deserves a second chance."

Cyborg put in, "Yeah, but isn't she on like her third of fourth chance, now?"

"What_ever_, Cy!" Beast Boy said forcefully, slamming his fist on the table. "Whatever it is, she deserves another one. And another, if necessary. However long it takes, I am not giving up on her. Inside she's a good person, even if you don't see it. With Slade pushing her along she got consumed by her dark side, but she can be good again. It's not too late. It's never too late."

Cyborg replied, "But if she was good, then turned bad, then turned good again, how can we trust her not to turn bad again?"

"That's what trust is," Beast Boy replied softly. "I trust her to have the self control and self awareness not to fall into that trap again."

"I think she still needs to learn that self control, Beast Boy," Robin said. "Like I said, she needs a good master. She's got a lot to learn."

"Well, hopefully," Beast Boy said, trying to sound cheerful, "our old buddy David will have some ideas. I hope he can get here soon. He could be anywhere in the universe right now, right?"

Cyborg looked puzzled. "Now, how do you page a man who could be anywhere in the universe. What kind of signal would you even use that would reach him?"

Just then, the door opened and two people walked in, Raven and her old friend David Blackwolf.

Beast Boy turned back to Cyborg and grinned. "Let's ask him."

"Hey, guys," David said casually as he entered the room. This man of somewhere around 25 was dressed in civilian wear, black dress shirt, black pants and boots, under a lightweight gray trench coat that hung off him like a cloak. He had shaggy black hair and bright blue eyes, and he carried a heavy wooden staff of a cane with a small green gem in the head. David looked slightly out of place among the adolescent superheroes. He looked like any regular guy you might meet on the street.

"David!" Starfire cried out as she rose from her seat and flew toward him. "It is so wonderful to see you again!" she squealed, throwing herself into his arms in a huge hug.

David squeezed her back just as hard. "Good to see you, too, Star," he said.

"How'd you get here so quickly?" Robin asked as he shook David's hand.

"Magic," David replied casually.

"It was cool," Raven said, holding up the palm-sized signal beacon. "The instant I hit the button he teleported into the room."

"Now how do you pull off a trick like that?" Cyborg asked.

"Ah, you forget, my friends," David said with an amused grin, "I am a _time_ traveler." He paused, as if letting the weight of his words sink in. "_Time_ traveler. When Raven triggered that anchor beacon, I got a signal with it's current space-time co-ordinates. Space-_time_ co-ordinates. So I teleported to the moment in time that the signal came from, and there you go."

"Most impressive!" Starfire said.

"That is a pretty neat trick," Beast Boy cut in, "But can we get back to business? David is here so we can discuss Terra."

"Who's Terra?" David asked.

Before Beast Boy could reply, Cyborg added, "Wait, there's one last thing I gotta know. How does that little fist-sized do-dad send a signal that you can receive anywhere across space and time?"

"Easy," David replied. "It doesn't."

Cyborg paused for a moment, confused. "Well, then … how'd you know we'd signaled you?"

"It's complicated. And magical. I'll explain it to you when we've got more time. Right now, Beast Boy looks concerned. Who's Terra? And, hi, B.B., by the way. Good to see you."

There were handshakes and hellos all around as David got himself seated at the table. "So, when I got here," David started, "I asked Raven what was up. She just said 'they need to find Yoda,' and led me here."

"I figured you guys would tell the story better than I would," she explained.

"So, Robin," David asked, "Are you still speaker for the group? Tell me, what's going on?"

Robin paused for a second, then turned to look at Beast Boy. "Beast Boy, why don't you take this story from the beginning."

Beast Boy snapped the joints in his fingers and neck, as though warming up. "OK, Dave, have I got a story for you," he started with enthusiasm. "Full of danger and intrigue, betrayal and remorse. Some time ago, we met this girl named Terra …"

OOO

"… so now she's in her room trying not to freak out, and we're here asking for your help," Beast Boy summed up some time later. "So tell me, David, in all your travels, have you by any chance ever met Yoda?"

David, who had been listening intently, suddenly erupted with laughter. "No, not personally," he replied, then his expression grew serious again. "That's a fascinating and tragic tale you have there, Beast Boy. I look forward to meeting this girl, since I consider myself a good judge of who's good or evil, or both, or sometimes neither. I'd like to talk to her." He paused and looked seriously at Beast Boy. "Sounds like this girl is seriously dangerous. Before I go and inflict her upon one of my friends I've met in my travels, I need to assess her for myself. Then I'll decide who's help she really needs."

"Fair enough," Beast Boy replied. "Let's go talk to her."

David turned to Robin and raised an eyebrow. "Meeting adjourned?"

Robin nodded. "Adjourned. Let's go talk to Terra."

As everyone rose from the table, David said to Robin, "I'd rather see her alone, if you don't mind. I'll want your opinion of her, but after I've formed my own. You understand."

Beast Boy looked concerned. "Um … I don't-"

"Of course you'll be with us, B.B." David reassured him. "She needs you right now."

>

Beast Boy led David to Terra's room and knocked on the door.

"Yes?" came softly from inside.

Beast Boy cracked open the door and stuck his head in. "Can we come in?" he asked. He found Terra, now dressed in her civilian blue sleeveless tee shirt, sitting on her bed staring dejectedly at the floor. She glanced up at Beast Boy, then sat upright when she noticed David.

"Oh, hello … um," she started. "Who's your friend?"

"Terra, this is David," Beast Boy started, calm and reassuring. "He's a friend. He's one of Raven's friends, we met him about a year ago."

"One of Raven's friends?" she repeated, then looked to David. "Do you do magic, too?"

David smiled at her. "Yes, I do."

Terra's eyes slowly got wider. "Are you gonna do magic on me?" she muttered fearfully.

David just shook his head. Terra, meanwhile, was going white. "Your gonna use magic on me, and take my power away," she whimpered, "or do mind control on me …"

"No, sweetie, no," David said, moving to her side. "Nothing like that. I'm here to help you."

David and Beast Boy crossed the bedroom to Terra's side at her bed, each taking hold of a hand.

"It's OK, Terra," Beast Boy said comfortingly. "He's a good guy, he's here to help you."

Terra closed her eyes and sighed. "OK, good," she said. "Nice to meet you, David. So, you can be like my lawyer, or something."

This made David laugh. "Not exactly." He looked at her again more seriously. "You're not on trial here, Terra. We want to help you. We're you're friends."

As she squeezed Beast Boy's hand, she said, "Beast Boy's been the only friend I have."

"I'd like to be your friend, Terra," David said gently. "And I think the other Titans would, too."

Terra looked to the floor and muttered, "I'm not so sure about that."

"Well, I'll tell you what, Terra, look me in the eye and tell me you regret being the badguy, and that you want to be the goodguy."

She stared him in the eye for several seconds before she replied. "I'm sorry I was the badguy," she whispered, still holding his hands with one of hers, "and I think the only thing I want right now is to be the goodguy again."

As a tear began to roll down her cheek, David gave her a warm smile, then turned to Beast Boy. "Told you before I was good at snap judgments about people, about spotting good and evil."

"Verdict?" Beast Boy replied softly, wiping the tear from Terra's face.

David looked back to Terra and again gave her a warm smile. "Good. Definitely good."

Terra looked relieved. She closed her eyes and mouthed the words 'thank you.'

"From everything Beast Boy tells me about you," he continued, "you sound rather … damaged. You've been through a lot, kid, and I feel for you, I really do." He paused and just held her hand for a moment, then continued. "I don't know how to help you, kid, and I'm sorry… but I know someone who might."

Beast Boy and Terra both looked up at him expectantly, and David replied with just a knowing smile.

"Who might?" Beast Boy prompted. "Who?"

David caught Terra's eye and said, "I think you'll be in good hands. Trust me."

"Who?" she replied nervously. "What are you doing with me? Where are you sending me?"

"I want to tell Robin," David said as he stood up. "C'mon. I want to present it to everyone as an option. Come with me, and I'll tell all of you all about it."

"OK, good," Beast Boy replied, standing up and pulling Terra up with him. "Let's go."

>

The three of them re-entered the conference room to find all the others standing around talking.

"What's up?" David asked the group.

Raven replied, "I was explaining again to the others how you travel, using six-dimensional wormholes."

"And we weren't gettin' it," Cyborg added.

"Did you tell them about the three spatial and three temporal planes …" David started, when Beast Boy cut him off.

"Hello? Here to talk about Terra?" he said impatiently.

"Right, sorry," David replied, "So, Robin, Titans, have a seat and I'll tell you about a friend of mine."

"Do you know of a master who could train her?" Robin asked.

"Well, I don't have Yoda," David replied, "but I've got someone close."

"Is he on another planet?" Beast Boy asked. "Is he an alien?"

"No, he's not an alien, but he is from another timeline, another Earth."

"Another Earth?" Robin asked. "You mean, another dimension?"

David nodded. "Another reality, yes, whatever you want to call it. He's somewhere else. You can't get there from here." He stopped and grinned confidently. "But I can."

"You're killing us, Dave!" Beast Boy burst out. "Who, already?"

"His name … is Professor Charles Xavier."

"Professor?" Beast Boy replied. "What does he teach? Is he at a college?"

"He teaches everything. He is a very educated man. And no, he doesn't teach at a university, he runs his own school, the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning."

"And where is it, again?" Terra asked.

"Upstate New York," David replied casually.

"Yeah, but …" she hesitated, "in another …"

"Yes, Terra, in 'another.' Pick a word you like and run with it. Timeline, dimension, reality, plane, existence, publisher, whatever. This school is in another one."

"Tell us about the school, David," Robin prompted.

"The X Institute …" David started. "Where to begin? The Xavier Institute is a privately owned boarding school for students at the middle school, high school, and college level. Primarily, the Institute is geared toward teenaged high school students as an alternative to public school. Students live at a secluded campus near Salem Center, in upstate New York."

"Sounds expensive," Raven commented.

David nodded. "Most students are there on grants and scholarships."

"Why do you think this school is right for Terra?" Robin asked.

"Because, unknown to the public, the Professor and all of his staff are mutants, and they seek out and recruit only mutant students, to teach them how to control their powers."

The Titans all just stared at him.

"I swear I'm not making this up," he continued with a grin. "And the faculty at the X Institute call themselves X-Men, and they're superheroes. And they train students with the talent for it to be X-Men, too."

"And … you think I could be an … X-Man?" Terra asked hesitantly.

"Only the Professor can decide that," David replied. "I can't promise anything. All I can do is take you to meet him."

"That's all we ask," Robin said.

There was a pause, and Raven looked around the table. "So is that it, then? We're going to send her to this Professor and ask him to take her into his school for superheroes?"

Everyone looked at each other. "I like the idea," Beast Boy said with enthusiasm. "I think it sounds perfect."

"What if this Professor doesn't want to accept a criminal into his school?" Raven asked.

"Well, that's up to him," David replied. "But I can tell you, Charles is a remarkably understanding and forgiving person. And insightful, wise … what else? … caring, trustworthy… a good man, a good teacher. In fact, I'd put him up against Yoda any day."

"Really?" Beast Boy said, disbelieving. "He's that cool?"

David nodded. "I think he'll take good care of Terra."

"What about …" Terra started. "It's a high school. How am I … I'm gonna be surrounded by superhero students who know I was a supervillain, and … won't that … I mean …"

"I don't think the students need to know, Terra," David said. "The Professor and a few of his staff, Dr. Grey and Dr. McCoy at least, but I think they'd keep your involvement with Slade a secret from your fellow students, if you asked them to."

Terra nodded. "That would be good."

There was a short silence, then Beast Boy said, "So … are we gonna do this, then, or what?"

David looked to Robin. "I guess that's your call."

"No, David," Robin replied. "It's yours. Take her to see your friend if you think he can help her."

David looked to Terra. "I think he can."

"Great," Raven said, "if you think this guy can handle her. When can you leave?"

David looked at his watch. "We can leave now, if you want."

"Terra, pack your things," Robin said to her.

"All right!" Beast Boy exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "I knew it! We knew somebody who knew somebody. We got the connections! I knew we'd think of something. Terra, you're gonna go live at a boarding school, have a normal life."

"Calm down, B.B.," David said. "The Professor has to accept her first."

"Oh, but I know he will," Beast Boy replied. "If he's as Yoda-cool as you say, he'll see that Terra's a hero inside."

"And life with the X-Men will be anything but normal." David turned to Terra. "Trust me, kid. You're gonna love it."

"Whatever," Raven put in. "Terra, you don't own much. Go get it, and let's go."

Terra ran off to her room, and Beast Boy turned to Raven. "You are not OK with this, are you?" he asked.

"Let's just say I was out-voted," she replied. "But I trust David, more than the rest of you do. If he says this will work …"

"I think this has a chance," David replied. "Like I said, don't get your hopes up."

>

Raven and David were getting into a discussion of magical theory that none of the others could follow, when Terra returned, holding a big duffle bag in one hand and a black trash bag in the other. "This …" she said, holding up the trash bag, "is the costume Slade made me. Before we leave, I want to burn it. I want to destroy it."

"That's a good idea," David said. "I think that would be good for you. Also …" he added, turning to Robin, "Before we leave, I really don't think she needs the collar anymore."

"I agree," Robin said, producing a key from his belt. As he unlocked the collar, he said, "I think you should know, Terra, that I didn't really think you needed the collar. I needed to know if you would trust me enough to wear it." After he got it off, he continued. "Let's go to the roof and torch Slade's suit, then you two can be off."

>

Standing in the center of the roof of the huge 'T' that is Titans Tower, Terra slowly set out the pile of dirty, ripped up clothes. She stared for a long time at the stylized 'S' logo on the shirt's chest. Finally, she reached out a hand to Robin. "Give it to me."

He handed her a mini-flamethrower from his utility belt, and she blasted the pile of clothes. She sat crouched over the burning rags like they were a campfire, staring into the flames. After several minutes, she stood up and turned to David.

"I'm ready," she said. "Let's go."

Beast Boy stepped up to her side. "Let's go," he repeated.

"Wait," Raven started. "Beast Boy, do you think you're going, too?"

"Of course I'm going," he replied. "I promised to take care of her. I'm not gonna just ship her off to someone I've never met without at least checking him out first. Robin, tell her."

Robin looked to David. "I think that's up to you."

"I thought B.B. coming was part of the plan," he said. "She needs him right now."

"In that case, how long will you and Beast Boy be gone?" Robin asked.

"Oh, not long at all," David said with a knowing smile. "Come on. Terra, set your bag here, now stand here," he said, arranging himself, Terra and Beast Boy into a circle, holding his cane over the duffle bag in the middle. The gem in the top of the cane began to glow with a brilliant green light. "You two hold hands, Terra takes my hand, we're making a ring around the light. Good. Now the rest of you, give us some room."

As the others stepped back, the green light exploded suddenly, forming a glowing green sphere of energetic light around the three of them. A low hum filled the air, and sparks danced across the surface of the sphere.

"Now, this is going to be a little jarring," David said over the hum, "but it doesn't last long. Ready? Three, two, one …" At the unspoken count of 'zero,' the sphere collapsed, taking its three occupants with it. There was a brief, brilliant spark of light from what had been the sphere's center, and then nothing. The three travelers were gone.


	4. Chapter 4

FOUR

Beast Boy and Terra floated adrift in a calm sea of silent blackness. They could not move, for they had no bodies. They could not think, for they had no minds. They were blind, deaf, mute, numb. There was only the black emptiness.

After an interminable momentary eternity of nothingness, they were smacked in the face with reality. Cool morning air assaulted them, and they saw that the bubble they stood in was no longer on the roof, it was in the front courtyard of a large building that looked like a mansion. Terra and Beast Boy both leaned heavily on David, out of breath and inexplicably freezing.

"Wow," they both said.

Beast Boy continued, "Dave, the term 'jarring' does not do that justice."

Several young students were in the lawn, studying. They looked up at the arrival, but seemed little more than passing curious. The energetic bubble collapsed into the green light at the tip of David's cane, then went out.

"Welcome," David exclaimed. "Welcome to the Xavier Institute."

"Are those student superheroes?" Terra asked.

"Yes, or at least, fellow mutants."

One of the students gathered up her books and came towards the group. She was around 14, cute and petite, with a brown ponytail. "Hi, guys," she said cheerfully. "Are you lost?"

"No," David replied. "We're here to see Professor Xavier."

"He should be in his office right now," the little girl offered. "I could take you there."

"That would be great," David replied.

As they walked, the girl turned to face Beast Boy, then Terra, then Beast Boy again. "So, I'm guessing you," she said, pointing at Beast Boy, "are a new student."

He shook his head. "Guess again."

"You?" she said, pointing to Terra. "Are you a mutant, too?"

Terra seemed a bit taken aback by the bluntness of the question, and the young girl quickly continued. "No, it's OK. We're all mutants here, even me. Look," and she held out her hand to Terra. When Terra went to shake it, her hand passed right through the girl's like it was a ghost. The girl smiled. "I call it phasing. I can phase through anything. My name's Kitty, by the way."

"Kitty, I'm Terra, that's Beast Boy. And that's David."

Kitty laughed. "Beast Boy, huh? Best professional name you could come up with?"

"Don't pick on B.B.," Terra pleaded playfully. "He's my best friend."

Kitty laughed again. "Sorry, 'B.B.,' I didn't mean anything by it."

"So you got anything better?" he asked.

"I was called Ariel for a while, then Sprite. Those both sucked. Then we finally hit on something good. Get this … Shadowcat. Has a ring to it, doesn't it? So what's your real name, then?"

Beast Boy looked at the floor. "Garfield Logan. I'd prefer Beast Boy, though."

"Garfield Logan?" Terra repeated, then held out her hand to shake with him. "Tara Markov, nice to meet you."

David felt he needed to explain to Kitty. "They're superheroes 24/7 where they're from. No need for civilian names."

By that time they has crossed the expansive front lawn to the large double front doors of the school.

"Come on," Kitty said. "The Professor's office is this way." She led them down a short hallway to an office door and knocked.

"Come," came a man's voice from inside.

Kitty left the door closed and leaned through it, phasing her upper body through the door. "Oh, sorry, you're in class," she said, starting to back out.

"What is it, Kitty?" came the voice again.

"Terra and Beast Boy are here to see you."

"Do I know a Terra or a Beast Boy?"

"Tell him …" David started, then stepped up and opened the door, swinging it through Kitty's body. "Hi, Charles, it's David Blackwolf. Remember me? We need to talk."

"Of course I remember you, David. So good to see you again," he replied cheerfully. "Can it wait till after my lesson? I won't be ten minutes."

"No problem, Professor. Thank you."

"Kitty," the Professor called out. "Keep our guests entertained until I arrive."

Throughout the conversation, Terra and Beast Boy had been trying to get around David to get a look at this Professor. All Beast Boy could tell was that he was bald and seated. As David shut the door, Beast Boy gave a low, frustrated, "aagh," and Terra cried, "Well don't I at least get to see him?"

"The Professor said ten minutes," Kitty said seriously. "So we wait. Let me show you to the common room. We've got TV, video games, a pool table …"

"Video games, huh?" Beast Boy replied. "Do you have Super Turbo Blaster-"

"B.B., focus," David chided. As they sat down on large couches, Terra still holding Beast Boy's hand, David turned his attention to Terra. "While we wait, there are a few things I should tell you about this Earth. The geography is a bit different, as are the heroes and villains. No one here knows Metropolis or Gotham or Central City, and they've never heard of Superman, Batman, or the Justice League. Instead, they have the X-Men and the Avengers, Spider-Man and the Hulk. You'll learn who these guys are in time. Remember, Magneto is bad. Magneto is like Slade, he'd try to recruit you. Whatever you do, stay away from him."

"Magneto bad," Terra repeated. "Got it. What else?"

"The political systems of the world are pretty much the same. The USA is still the USA, it just has different cities."

"Hang on a sec," Kitty said, looking terribly confused. "Where are you from, again?"

"They are from an alternate reality, Kitty," came the Professor's voice. The older, well dressed man with a bald head and a wheelchair slowly rolled into the room. "Good morning, everyone. David, good to see you again, it's been too long."

David rose and shook the Professor's hand. "Good to see you, too, Charles. Allow me to introduce Beast Boy and Terra. Beast Boy is an accomplished superhero and a bad-ass in his own right …"

"Aw, shucks, Dave," Beast Boy said with a grin.

"… and Terra … Terra needs your help," David concluded. "Kitty, would you excuse us?"

"But-" Kitty started to object, but the Professor cut her off.

"Yes, why don't we continue this in my office?" he suggested as he began to roll himself that way.

>

The Professor sat behind his large wooden desk, Beast Boy and Terra sat in the chairs opposite him, and David stood behind them. The Professor put his hands together on the desk and looked to Terra.

"Tell me, young lady, how do you think I can help you?"

Terra looked surprised, like she didn't know where to begin. "Well …" she started nervously.

"Beast Boy," David said. "You did such a fine job with 'the tale of Terra' before, why don't you try it again, and fill in the Professor for us."

Beast Boy exhaled forcefully, wiped his face, cracked the joints of his fingers and neck. "OK. Here we go. I'm with a team of superheroes called the Teen Titans. A while back, we met this girl called Terra …"

OOO

"… so David said he should bring her to see you," he concluded some time later. "So, here we are. Can you help her?" Beast Boy asked earnestly. "Please help her."

The Professor considered for a moment. "That is a tragic tale you've brought me, Beast Boy. Betrayal is not a matter I take lightly. Apprenticing to a villain … these are weighty issues."

"But can you help her?" Beast Boy repeated after a moment.

In response, the Professor pulled back and wheeled around his desk and closer to Terra. "Do you know what a telepath is, my child?" he asked her gently. She just gulped and nodded. "Well, with your permission, I would like to perform a psychic scan of your memories. That is the clearest way for me to understand what everything that has happened has meant to you."

Still looking at the Professor, Terra reached back and grabbed Beast Boy's hand again. "OK," she muttered. "Go ahead."

The Professor gently took hold of her other hand. "This won't hurt, my dear," he said reassuringly, "but it may be intense. Close your eyes." Terra's body suddenly went taut as she tightly gripped their hands. "Easy, Terra. Relax. You're in the desert, you're meeting the Titans," he continued.

"It's OK, Terra," Beast Boy threw in.

Terra's face proceeded through a range of emotions, fear, anger, relief, hatred, terror, as the events of her life replayed in her mind. Half way through the brief session she slowly began to cry, and Beast Boy voiced his concern.

"Are you sure you need to be upsetting her like this?" he asked.

"Hush, B.B.," David said sternly. "Let the man work."

The Professor let go of Terra's hand and wheeled back slightly. Her hand went to her face and she began to cry more forcefully. "Omigod," she muttered, turning around to fall into Beast Boy's arms, sobbing.

"Now look what you did!" Beast Boy told the Professor accusingly, cradling Terra in his arms.

"Beast Boy, can it!" David snapped. "Professor?" he started again. "What's the verdict?"

The Professor slowly wheeled back around behind his desk. "You've been through a lot, my dear," he said gently. "Your psyche, your sense of self, are badly damaged."

"But can you help her?" Beast Boy demanded.

"Yes, Beast Boy, I believe I can," he replied, then turned to Terra, who was sitting up and wiping the tears from her face. "If you will work with me and trust me, Terra, I believe there is hope for you."

"Yes!" David exclaimed softly. "I knew it. I knew you wouldn't let us down, Charles."

"Does that mean …" Terra started, regaining her composure, "does that mean I'm gonna live here, be your student?"

"That choice is up to you, Terra," the Professor replied. "If you would like to stay, you are welcome here."

"There's also the matter of, um …" Beast Boy started, then hesitated. "Well, I think this should probably be kept a secret."

"Of course," the Professor replied. "A few of my staff will need to know your whole story, but the student body needn't know any more about you than you choose to tell them."

"Good, thank you," Terra said.

"I think you'll find," he continued, "that you need not make up some sort of 'cover story.' If you simply tell the others you'd rather not discuss your past, they will understand. Many of them have had troubled lives of their own."

"So … now what?" Beast Boy asked. "Is there paperwork? Can she just unpack?"

The Professor laughed gently. "I have little use for paperwork, Beast Boy." He paused, put his finger to his temple, and closed his eyes. "Kitty?" he said, apparently to himself. "Can you come in here?" A moment later she phased through the door. "Kitty, please take Terra to the girls dormitory and find her a room."

"Of course," she replied. "Come on."

As everyone got to their feet, Beast Boy looked to David. "We don't have to go back right away, do we?"

"Well, not _right_ away," he replied with a grin. "Come on, let's let Kitty show us around a bit." David and the others followed Kitty to the office door, and she phased through it, leading David to a sudden stop.

"I hate when she does that," he muttered as he opened the door.

>

Kitty led them to the dorm, where Terra dropped off her duffle bag with her only belongings, then she gave them a quick tour of the campus. It was obvious that Kitty had taken an immediate liking to Terra, and was eager to help her settle in. They talked about the Institute's instructors, some of it's more colorful students, the course curriculum, and of course, the special sessions for honing their unique mutant powers. Eventually, the tour led them back to the Professor's office door.

"I guess that's it," Kitty said with a shrug. "What do you think?"

"It's amazing," Terra said.

"Very cool place," Beast Boy agreed.

"So … that's it, then," David said with finality. "Terra, welcome to your new home. Beast Boy, you don't belong here. It's time to go."

Beast Boy started to object, but didn't. He knew David was right. David knocked on the office door, then opened it and stepped in. "Kitty, you're with me," he said. "Let's give them a minute."

David and Kitty closed the door behind them, leaving Terra and Beast Boy alone in the hallway.

"I guess this is it," Beast Boy muttered. "This is goodbye."

Terra started to speak, then threw her arms around him instead. "I don't know where to start," she whispered. "Thank you, Beast Boy, for so much. You saved my life, you saved me… from Slade, you saved me from myself. You saved me from … the other Titans, you saved me from prison. You fought for me when no one else would, and you've given me a life again. I don't know how to thank you."

"You know what you can do for me, Terra?" Beast Boy whispered in return. "Have a good life. Be happy. That's all I ever wanted."

They held each other for a long time, both in tears, before they finally pulled away. "I guess we should …" Beast Boy started, motioning toward the door.

"Yeah," she whispered.

They entered the office to find David and the Professor talking seriously. "I'm ready," Beast Boy said.

David stood up and crossed the room to Terra, holding out his arms. "Do I get a hug?"

Terra smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you for this, David," she said. "You've given me a second chance."

David shrugged. "It's what I do," he said modestly, then turned to say goodbye to the Professor. As he did, Terra looked curiously around the room. "I thought Kitty was with you," she commented.

"I sent her away," the Professor explained. "David and I had matters to discuss."

"But I didn't see …" she started.

"She left through the wall," David said with a grin. He grabbed his cane, stepped to the middle of the room, held it front of him, and the head began to glow bright green. "Ready, B.B.?" he asked. Without a word, Beast Boy took his place at David's side, his eyes never leaving Terra's. The light of David's cane exploded into an energetic green sphere around the two of them.

"Goodbye, Charles, goodbye, Terra," David said. "Ready, three, two …"

"Wait!" Beast Boy cried out, rushing out of the sphere to Terra. He cradled her head in his hands, leaned in and gently, firmly kissed her lips. They held each other in a tender kiss for a long moment, then Beast Boy slowly backed away.

"I love you, B.B.," Terra whispered, tears running down her cheeks.

"I love you, Terra," he returned, shedding tears of his own. Keeping his eyes locked on Terra's, he slowly backed into David's green energy sphere and took hold of the cane.

"Ready?" David asked softly. Beast Boy just nodded. "Three, two, one …"


	5. Chapter 5

FIVE

There was an eternity of formless nothingness, then the realization that he was standing on the roof of Titans Tower slapped Beast Boy in the face. The other Titans were all there, staring at him. The burnt remains of Terra's Slade outfit were still smoldering.

"What happened?" "Did it work?" "Where's Terra?" came from all of them.

Robin held up a hand to silence them. "David, did you only send Terra?" he asked.

As the energy sphere collapsed, Beast Boy shot a look of confusion to David. "What's he talking about?" he asked.

"Wait," Raven said with a knowing smile. "Beast Boy, how long have you been gone?"

"A few hours. Why?"

"No way, man," Cyborg insisted. "You've been gone for like two seconds. If that."

David was laughing softly and shaking his head. "I keep telling you people, _time_ travel. It's a hard concept to wrap your head around."

"Pretty cool, David," Raven said. "Pretty cool."

"So how did it go?" Robin asked.

David shrugged and pointed to Beast Boy, who took a moment to reply. "It went fine," was all he said.

"Well, what was it like?" asked Cyborg. "Where did you go for two seconds that lasted two hours? Is she-"

"Later, OK?" Beast Boy said. "I just want to be alone right now." With that, he plodded off slowly toward his room.

>

Some time later, there was a knock at his door, and Raven's voice said, "Beast Boy? Can I talk to you?"

After debating for a moment, he finally replied, "Come in."

Raven stepped in and slowly closed the door. "I wanted to say I'm sorry," she said gently.

Beast Boy looked surprised. "Really?"

"I haven't changed my opinion of Terra. I just mean … I'm sorry for you, for what you've gone through. I know this had been hard for you."

Beast Boy nodded but didn't reply, and Raven crossed the room and sat beside him on the bed. After a minute, she started again. "Do you think she'll get the help she needs?"

"I think so," he muttered. "I hope so. David's friends seemed nice."

They sat in silence for another moment, then Raven continued again. "I'm sorry I said she was evil. If you say there's still a hero buried inside her, then I should trust your judgment."

"I probably should have listened to you more, too, Raven," he replied. "I just … I don't know. I just miss her."

"If you found a good home for her, I think that's all you can do."

"I know, I just …" he trailed off, unsure what to say.

Raven took his hand and held it silently for a long time. As she finally rose to leave, she simply said, "I'm sorry, B.B."

Alone again, Beast Boy went to his dresser and pulled out some photographs he and Terra had taken. He found his favorite shot of her, one that really caught her bright blue eyes, and took it back to his seat on the bed. For hours all he did was sit and stare into her eyes.

END

Author's notes:

Blackwolf began life as a Dungeons & Dragons character some years ago. He was my first mage, and as characters sometimes do, he eventually became too powerful to be fun to play. I retired him from the game, turned him into a 'Dr. Who' wannabe, and sent him exploring the universe.

David can travel in six-dimensional space-time (as described in Heinlein's _The Number of the Beast_), allowing him to visit different planets, different times, different parallel timelines: he can literally go anywhere. He keeps popping up in popular fiction that I like. He knows Buffy and Willow quite well, and has traveled the Star Wars Empire (and the Old Republic), but did not meet any of the movie's characters. He's crossed paths with the world-hopping travelers of Stargate SG-1. He's been to Arrakis (… Dune … desert planet …). He's been lots of places. Anyway … Beast Boy and Terra were in trouble, and Dave showed up to help out, and from there the story … went in a funny direction.

I hope my fellow Titans fans don't object to my inclusion of my own character in my fanfic, but I feel he was necessary to tell the story I wanted to tell. I hope you agree he doesn't detract from a story that is still about B.B. and Terra.

Thanks for reading it. Please review!!


End file.
